Photo Galleries

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Three Southern California men who were arrested in Kansas with 247 phony Visa debit cards have been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.

They were among four men who pleaded guilty to single counts related to counterfeiting in a deal with prosecutors.

The case stems from a traffic stop last April 2 following a chase through Thomas County in northwest Kansas. Officers said a search turned up the counterfeit debit cards, a computer and a device used to read and write data on the cards’ magnetic strips.

Sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren were Adis Poghosyan and Artour Hakobyan, both of Glendale, Calif., and Vachagan Baghdasaryan, of Los Angeles.

The fourth defendant, Haykaz Mansuryan, also of Glendale, is expected to get 18 months at sentencing Wednesday.